Here’s a guest blog entry from my travel agent, who I met here on my blog. I asked her if she’d be willing to share occasional travel ideas with us and she agreed. So here goes:

This year is the bicentennial of Joseph Haydin’s life, and what better way to start the New Year than the height of the Ball Season in January and February. Two notables are the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Musikverein. So dust off your dance shoes and enjoy.

And while there, try the Wiener Schnitzel at Purstner’s (Riemergasse 10; 43-1/512-6357) or the braised cheek of Iberian pork, while choosing from among the 60,000 bottles available at The Restaurant Coburg (Coburgbastei 4; 43-1/518-18-800). For a snack on the run, you might want to visit the Naschmarkt, where you can find ham and sauerkraut or international choices like baklava and sushi Monday through Saturday.

Shopping in Vienna? Try the Mariahilfer Strasse, the city’s most popular shopping street, with lots of options.

Looking for a fabulous hotel to cap the trip? Look no further than the 152-room Hotel Sacher Wein, known for its fabulous torte, and even more fabulous location directly across from the Vienna Opera House.

So call your travel agent and book now, and enjoy Vienna.

Lynn Bator is a Virtuoso travel agent specializing in luxury travel. You can reach her at her personal email address at Lindabator@yahoo.com.

About the Author

Comments (1)

We decided to visit Wien over the New Years holiday, with the Kaiserball at the Hofburg. Dancing seemed to be optional, but it was an amazing event. The rooms were quite crowded, but it was possible to dance, and enjoyable just to hear the music and see the stage performances. We were booked at the Hotel Post which was an excellent location, just north of the Stephansdom in the city center (near Kaerntnerstrasse shopping). Our last evening dinner was spent at the Griechenbeisl, a historic restaurant near the hotel. It was very quaint, although our chosen meals were average.

We also chose a city bus sightseeing tour including entrance to Schoenbrunn, which was a real deal. The line to get in would have otherwise been 2 hours in the freezing cold.